Advertising device



Feb. 4, 19,30. w B. ARKLAY ADVERTISING DEVICE 4 Filed May :8,1929

v In ven tor' Patented Feb. f4. 1936]- i UNITED STATES APr.TflQNT .1

WILLIAMLB'ISSETT ARKL'AY, orl HAMPsTEaD,LLoNDon,' nnennnn f.

AnvERTIsiNe 'DEVICE i Application ined May s, 1929,"seria1 No. 361,322, amrn Great Britainjmarch'laglees. y

This invention relates to yadvertising signs of the kind wherein lightpassing through a transparency or. the like is received direct ly by a mirror and reflected to the eyes of the observer, the Ytransparency being interposed between the mirror andthe source of light. v The invention consists in the provision of w.improved means for'usewhen animating such signs so that legends, news or thelike can be displayed gradually. Q

1 According to the present invention light is caused to pass through part of a transparency vinl the form ofr a' relatively narrow endless film or bandr situated at some distance from an optical element or elements adapted to pro-` duce divergence of the rays only in planes vat right angles to the direction oftravel of the film or band, so that an vobserver in front ofy the mirror perceives in the reflectingy sur- 20 face images larger in one-direction than they actually are upon the transparency. To compensate forr this increase in dimension in width of parts of letters for example, measured transversely of'the'lm or band,ris re- 25 duced, so that the observed result is the same:

' or substantially the same asthat which would accrue fromlthe use`of normal symbols on a wider film.

Taking thespecific case of a daylight sign n' 30 where a mirror in ahoriz'ontal casing is ile luminated fromabove, a cylindrical lens may .be arranged with the convex surface ex# posed to the mirror, and therflat yor substantially flat surface horizontally thereabove. In, or associated with this casing are a number of rollers, one or more of whichv may be of sprocket type, adapted to cause an endless film to travel in such a way that a portion in mirror, but of a height much reduced. The

effect of the lens is to produce divergence of or the like to appear as of normal height.

.be enclosed in a weather suitable form.

cludes, or isfmore or less closely adjacent to', the vfocus of.thelens, suitable means being` provided to enableadjustment to be readilyA the rays meridianally and so ,causethe lettersV Thel movement'of the film may be secured in'` various ways, but conveniently by'me'ans of'a small. electricniotor and the whole 'may tight casing of any In the accompanying drawings one co'nstructlonal arrangement is illustrated by way of example,from which modifications can be n readily ascertainable. Of these drawings Figs. 1 and 2 are sectional elevations at right angles tovone another, and Fig. Sfisfavhori- Zontal section. Fig. Llis a plan view of a por'- f tion ofan endless band which maybeused,l and Fig. represents the image resulting from the letter depicted in Fig. ll

As shownin Figs. l, 2 and 3, a employed'upon which are mounted a pair, of

lel to and above a lens 5 of the kind referred'.

frame' l is guide rollersQ so that a portion 3 of an end'- less film band 4 can becaused to travelparal- Y f f to, 6 being' a reflecting mirror' upon which appearv images ofletters or the like upon the band. lMotion is imparted lto the band by a p. sprocket wheel 7 and the required length'iisl accommodated by idle rollers of which there 'may' be any suitable number, four designated 1 8 being shown as fixed and one, designated .9, being 'adjustable'to take upv slack. Fig. 4 exemplies lhow a letter is shortened in height to enable an image like that shown in Fig.

5 to be'obtained'.` Fig. 4 further explains how Y y.an endlessv vband can bebuilt up of a number of film elements instead of employing an endless film. lHere two feed tapes 10 are simultaneously driven by a sprocket 7 and each letter isformed as a transparency upon a film plate ll'havingnotches in the transverse mar- Agins which when the plate is bent Vcan'be sprung under headed studsl2 upon the tapes, being thereafter automatically heldin position,l one plate slightlyfoverlapping another.

Thi's method ofproducing a band hasV the ady Y Y.

vantage of enabling changes to kbe more` readsprocketis instanced as vdriven by worm and ily'made in the matter to bedisplayed. lThe worm" gearing but any other suitable drive Y maybe employed. What I claim is 1. An advertising device of the kind herein referred to, comprising a relatively narrow transparency exposed on one side to light rays, a reiector at the opposite side of such transparency and inclined thereto and a cylindrical lens situated at some distance from the transparency between the latter and the reflector adapted to produce divergence of light rays received from the transparency,

Vonly in planes atright angles to the length of the transparency so that an Vabserver in front of the reiector perceives in the reflecting Vsurface images larger in one direction than they actually are upon the transparency.

2. An advertising device of the kind herein referred to, comprising a relatively narrow endless transparency exposed on one side to light rays, a reliector at the opposite side of such transparency and inclined thereto, and a cylindrical lens situated at some distance from the transparency, between the lattery and the reflector, such lens being adapted to produc-e divergence of rays received from the transparency, only in planes at right angles to the length of the transparency.

Signed at London this 24th day. of April,

WILLIAM BISSETT ARKLAY. 

